Dipping a Toe in the Mommy Blog Pool
October 1st, 2008, 9:13 am · 22 Comments · posted by ewingert
When Gretchen Losi asked me if I would be interested in doing the Mommy Blog, I thought, ‘Does the world need another mommy blog? I mean, really?’ According to an article in The Wall Street Journal there are over 200,000 parenting and family blogs. That’s a small number compared to what pops up on Google, over 760,000. Seriously?
And there seems to be a different topic or spin on each one, ranging from basic tips and trends in parenting to one family that blogs on their efforts to live “Car Free”. (I’m all for living green, but living car free will not be the focus of this blog. Ever.)
In my extensive online research, (Okay, I just googled a lot while watching d.v.r. recordings of “Law & Order”.) I found blogs with cutes-y banter about toddlers and their bathroom habits, (have I got a poop vs slide story for you, thanks to my niece, and it ain’t cute!) to Stay at Home Dads offering up their unique perspective on day-to-day life.
I even learned a few things, like “fursing”. Well, I actually knew about it, just didn’t know it had a name. A blogger from Australia clued me in. It’s what most parents do (except for my husband) after having kids, it stands for “fake cursing”. Like “Fudge!”, “Cheese and crackers!”, “Son of a biscuit!” Fake cursing. I admit, I don’t use it as often as I should. Case-in-point; while on a Utah trip when my son was 3 we had him bundled up like that kid in “A Christmas Story” and I was struggling to strap him into his car seat. He looked up at me and asked, “Mommy, do you need to say ‘damn it’?” I did. But I didn’t. Just giggled.
Another thing I learned in my “research” was that despite there being hundreds of thousands of parenting/family blogs, there’s only one in the High Desert. This one. Oh, that’s not to say you won’t find lots of results for ‘High Desert mommy blog’, just not an actual Mommy Blog. You might find, however, a local man who impersonates Ozzy Osbourne. I did. And it startled me. The likeness was uncanny. (I want him at my 40th Birthday party.) So, since the Ozzy impersonator is not a mom, at least his MySpace page didn’t give me that impression, I humbly accept the task.
I’ve been a mom for 7 years, to J.T. (We’re going to go with initials for the kiddos on this particular blog. No reason, just saw it on another blog.) His dad, Stephan, and I have been married 12 years. Before I had J.T. I worked in television news, before that, in radio as a copy writer and way before that as a late night D.J., spinning the best of the 70’s, 80’s and today - it was the early 90’s. We’re from Texas, so on occasion you will read the term, ‘y’all’. Just giving you a heads up on that one. We’ve been in the High Desert for about 4 years and can’t get enough of those fall early morning temps.
I will attempt to continue the tradition of letting you know what is going on for families in our area and I’ll probably even throw in some tips, trends and green living ideas. In the meantime, I’d love to hear your creative “furse” words. I’ll pass ‘em on to my husband. (Stephan, only J.T. & I can hear you when you yell at other drivers.)
I love the Blog already. I am a mommy of three mommies and learning every day from each of them, reliving the joys and adventures of watching three precious little girls grow into awesome women and 21st century moms. My Tip: remember to breathe those slow deep renewing breaths and laugh every chance you get. P.S. Hugs to J.T. Jama
Nice to have a fresh take on the blogs, fun reading
I look forward to reading much more!
This Gretchen chick is brilliant! After reading your blog, I can’t imagine anyone more qualified, articulate and entertaining as you Ms. Eryn. Whoever this Gretchen is.. she deserves a raise for making such a smart decision.
And….can’t wait for the fursing blog.. but I’m especially intrigued with the poop vs. slide blog. Most of us have been there and those who haven’t will get an insiders view on what to look forward to.
How exciting!
I need to start fursing…unfortunately one of mine dropped an “f-bomb” in Target!
LOVE IT, ERIN, come back to Texas and teach us how to say ya’ll in high desert… my kid is going through major hormones and she’s driving me nuts, just started shaving and grouchy grouchy grouchy.
Very cool, they should be paying lots for this content…
I need some good furse words for UT football games!!! Now that I am older and wiser (and more sober on game days) I try not to swear in front of the kiddos. Bring on the fursing!!!!
Great post! I, too, am familiar with fursing but, like you, had no idea there was an actual word for it. My five year old daughter recently asked my husband if “damn it” was a bad word. He asked her where she heard that and she totally ratted me out. I quote, “Mommy says it in the car when she’s behind slow drivers!” Seriously?
I didn’t give birth to them, but my sister has always told me I am just like a mother to her two sons. Now one is a father himself to a toddler and I feel like a new mom all over again.
I look forward to the furse stories from your husband.
Last night I took my great-nephew with me to pick up fried chicken for dinner. He wanted to know if I could buy him fried rats instead! It must be a boy thing. I wanted to say ‘what the he&%’, but just said ‘I’ll ask!’
This is going to be great! I love the writing and cannot wait to hear the great stories of J.T. and his crazy parents.
“Fursing” is a new term to me, I guess I have been doing it for years and never knew there was an official term.
Gretchen and Stephan put their heads together and came up with an excellent mommy to handle the blog.
Since Halloween is just around the corner I can only begin to imagine the fun stories we’ll be able to read in November.
I am looking forward to reading more tidbits of our everyday lives and how the little ones bring so much joy, laughter and love to brighten our world. (As well as how they surprise ((shock)) us at times.
My 3-year-old granddaughter coined the “furseword” DADGARNET during a discussion of what are bad words and what are not. I use it often, it’s become my favorite!
Target must be the site for the f-bomb. K and I walked through the shoe department having a discussion “is fung a bad word, Gamma?” i
“is furg a bad word?” and so on, just use your imagination!!!
Thanks Eryn, for the gift of smiles.
Eryn, such a great site and looking forward to more! I wish my little L.L. (”Elle”)’s Daddy would START to furse. Elle’s gonna have a doosie of a first word if he doesn’t!!!!!!
My furses: “Crab-ola”, “Crum” , “Dagnabit”, and “Graham Crackers”- thank you, didn’t know there was a term for it!
If I had kiddos, this is where I would be looking for comic relief and advice all in one!
My personal fave furse is “flippin!”
Love the blog! I need advice from anyone out there about pre-teens! My 7th grade son just informed me that it was “crucial” that he have unlimited texting on his cell because of all the girls that are texting him. What the?! Am I crazy for thinking it’s a BAD idea for kids to be sitting around texting each other instead of being active and engaged in society?
E,
I love it. I remember when we took G to Seaworld and her mother dropped a blanket in the rain and said D&%^I@! Several minutes later G did something and said the same thing. I can picture JT asking you that. He is the best funny little man I know.
YOu are off to a great start. Congratulations!
Thanks for the fursing tips - I, too, didn’t know there was an “official” word for my substitiutions and I sure could have used more fursing tips when my children were younger! But whether you are a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, friend, or neighbor, it seems we can always find an innocent well within earshot when we let an expletive slip. They have a habit of sneaking up behind us, don’t they?
“What a pita” (pain in the a..) seems to be the fursing I use the most. I can’t wait to read what other fursing suggestions our fellow bloggers can come up with!
Congratulations, Eryn!
Hey Eryn,
Great work! I liked it….They should pay you…Let me know when you get to the part where I can tell you that story about Taylor when she was two and we were at the beach and I was in my speedo and she said “Jin Jin you have a lot of sand in your suit. Of course I agreed completely…Kudos and great luck…Jamers
Love it Eryn! You can only imagine how much fursing I have had to resort to since Ashleigh, Maddie and Sam came along. Look forward to your monthly blog.
Hello, I found your info. very entertaining as I read I started remembering some things that happened when I was little (now 44) and that was my mom was going to get some food to help with a food drive our church was having for thanksgiving and she does NOT use foul language EVER! Anyway she was in the cracker isle at Fred Myers and she said ” hey why don’t we get some graham crapers for the food drive.” Well as you can imagine as a pre-teen I giggled, and she was totally mortified , because up until that day the worst “fursing” I had ever heard from her mouth was ” Puke-A-Buzzard!” then you knew she was truely angry.
I love the “graham crapers” story! That made me giggle too, and I’m 39! And I might just have to steal the “Puke-a-Buzzard” furse phrase. I hadn’t heard that one, but it sounds like it might be very effective. Thank you for sharing, Debbie.